County offers space near hospital and downtown
Advertising space is now available at three newly-installed
County Express bus stop shelters in Hollister, an effort a long
time in the works following unsuccessful attempts to have a
professional ad firm run the program.
The San Benito County Local Transportation Authority is offering
six advertising spaces on three bus stops: at Fourth and San Benito
streets; Sunset Drive near Hazel Hawkins Hospital; and across the
street at Sunset in front of the Mabie Northside Skilled Nursing
Facility.
County offers space near hospital and downtown
Advertising space is now available at three newly-installed County Express bus stop shelters in Hollister, an effort a long time in the works following unsuccessful attempts to have a professional ad firm run the program.
The San Benito County Local Transportation Authority is offering six advertising spaces on three bus stops: at Fourth and San Benito streets; Sunset Drive near Hazel Hawkins Hospital; and across the street at Sunset in front of the Mabie Northside Skilled Nursing Facility.
Advertising space can be reserved in four-week increments, with reservations of 12 weeks or longer receiving a discount. Nonprofit and government agencies also qualify for a 15 percent discount off rates that start at $375 for four weeks.
The LTA last year hoped to hire a firm to coordinate advertising both on bus stops and County Express buses themselves, but no agencies responded to a request for proposals. The goal was to raise as much as $18,200 annually if all spaces sold out. The money would go toward operations, capital and planning projects.
The original plan was to bring in nearly $50,000 per year by allowing advertising on buses and bus stops, by having a firm have the exclusive right for five years to sell advertising space and provide the LTA with a minimum annual guarantee or 60 percent of their annual growth revenues related to the project, whichever was greater.
The agency then decided to bring the effort in-house and eliminate the vehicle advertising aspect of the program. While LTA staff is not expected to actively solicit potential advertising clients, they are promoting the availability of ad space.
During a trial run of the advertising program in September and October 2010, one of the ads melted in the heat, leading staff to recommend a different type of supporting material for the ads.
In a press release, the LTA said advertisers “could reach thousands of potential customers on a daily basis” by advertising on bus shelters “located in prime locations in the City of Hollister.”
County Express provides more than 120,000 rides per year, according to the agency, with many of the riders frequently using the shelters or seeing them as they go by on a bus.
The advertising rates are only for the space, not for the design, production or printing of advertisements, which the LTA expects clients to provide. Ads must follow guidelines set by the agency and may not contain political, religious, sexual, violent or alcohol- or drug-related messages.
Ad rates start at $325 for a one-month commitment and decrease on a monthly basis to $315 for a 12-week commitment, $295 per month for 24 weeks and $275 per month for 48 weeks. There is a $50 mounting fee per advertisement, unless it is just a four-week display, when the mounting fee increases to $100.
The bus shelter ad space is five-and-a-half feet tall by three-feet-eight-inches wide.
For more information about the bus stop shelter advertising program’s advertising policies, contact the San Benito County Local Transportation Authority at 330 Tres Pinos Road, Ste. C7 in Hollister or online at www.sanbenitocountyexpress.org. For more information and to check on availability of space, call County Express administration at 637-7665.
